Type-writing machine.



W. A. LORENZ.

TYPE WRITING MACHlNE.

APPLICATION mm APR. 21. uses.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET conulnu rum-Am c0. vnnmuron. I c.

W. A. LORENZ.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION mm mnzr. 190a.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

INVENTOI? Q NEY WITNESSES 4W Ill STATES PATENT WILLIAM A. LORENZ, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE NOISELESS TYPEWRITER COMPANY, OF HIDDLETOWN, CON- NECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 27, 1908. Serial No. 429,473.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that 1, WILLIAM A. Lonsxz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford. in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-\Vriti111! Machines, of which the following is a full. clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to typewriting machines. and one of the objects thereof is to provide improved means for feeding the inking ribbon and for changing the irection of the feed thereof.

Another object is to provide mechanism of the above type which may be easily operated, is positive in its operation, and which will operate without noise.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the sco we of the application of which will be indicated in he following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated one of the various possible embodiments of mv invention, Figure 1 is a view in rear e ovation of my improved mechanism, partly in section, tnlten substantially on the line cutting the centers of the vertical shafts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a. view and )lan of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 wit 1 some of the parts removed, the vertical shafts being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view of one of the ribbon reversing devices with the parts in different positions from those in which they are shown in Fig. I the view bein taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fi 1. lg. 5 is an end view, partly in section iiioking toward the left end of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters refer to simiin r parts throughout the several views of the drawings. Referring now to the drawin 1 represcuts a shaft which is journale at either end in the frame of the machine 2 which is shown broken through at the center. This shaft is driven by means of a pinion 3 from any suitable moving part of t e typewriter mechanism, as for mstance, the mechanism for moving the platen carriage for letter spacing. bhaft 1 near. either end, is provided with gears 4 each of which meshes with a gear 5 on a verticall disposed shaft 6 suitab y journaled in the rame of the machine, there being two of these vertical shafts, one on each side of the machine. A handle 7 may be mounted upon the end of shaft 1 by means of which it may be rotated as when it is desired to wind at new ribbon on a spool. It will be understood from the above described construction that whenever shaft 1 is rotated by its driving means, shafts 6 will be driven in opposite directions.

Shafts 6 at their upper ends have fixed thereon pinions 8 by means of pins 9. The ribbon spools or reels 10 are placed upon the upper ends of shafts 6, one u on each shaft. In the present-instance, eac ribbon spool is provided witha hub 11 slotted as at 12 for receivin the end of the ribbon, which may be secure within said hub by means not shown. Each spool is further provided with lower and upper disks 13 and 14 respectively, the formerof which is formed integral with hub 11, and the u per disk rests loosely u on the upper end of said hub and is bed in o rative position by means of a nut 15, which is threaded upon the upper end of the vertical shaft 6. The hub portions 11 of the spools rest upon the pinions 8 which are secured to shafts 6 and are provided with inions 16 which lie adjaeent pinions 8. T e hubs 11 and their pinions are loose upon thevertical shafts 6.

In order to hold the spools 10 upon the vertical shafts 6, said shafts are recessed at 17 and a holding device, which, in the present instance, is constituted by a bent leaf spring 19 is dropped into the interior of the hubs 11, one end of each spring being sprun into a recess 17. This spring will, t ere ore, normally prevent each hub bein removed from each shaft. Such remova, however, may be readil accomplished by disengaging the end of t e spring from the upper wall of the recess.

Referring now to the mechanism emploved for connecting and disconnecting the ribbon spools to the vertical driving shafts whereby the feed of the ribbon may be reversed, levers or yoltes 18 and 20 respectively are pivoted at :21 and '22 to the frame of the machine, one of these leversbeing provided adjacent each of the vertically disposed sim f ts (3. Each of levers 1S and 20 is provided with a stud 23 carrying a double pinion it which is adapted, when the lever which carries the same is swung to the proper osition. to mesh with one set of the pinions rovided upon the it )per ends of the vertical shaft. and upon the liub'of the spool mounted thereon thereby forming an operative connection between these parts, whereby the spool will be rotated with the shaft. Levers la and 20 are also provided with depending studs 2.). which form pivots for a connecting rod or link 2b, the arrangement of the parts being such that when one of said levers is swung to mesh its idler gear with the pinions of a shaft and spool respectively the other thereof will be swung to disengage its idler gear from the correspondin" pinions of the other shaft and its spool. iever 18 is provided with an arm 27 to which is attached a handle 28 by means of which the lever may be swung to engage and disengage its idler gear with or from their pinions, as above described.

An outer extension or end of each of levers 1S and .20. in the present instance, is provided with a large notch 30 and a smaller notch 31, and an unnotched curved surface 32. These notches are entered by bent portions 33 of springs 34 and 35 respectively, each of which is secured to the frame of the machine by screws 36 which enter elon ated slots thereof. as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. the slots being provided to permit-the sprin s to be adjusted for a reason which will be hereinafter apparent. When the bent portion of spring ii-icngages the deep notch 33 of lever 18, the idler gear thereof is in mesh with the pinions of the driving shaft and spool respectively upon that side of the machine, as shown at the left hand side of Fig. .2, while spring 35 at the other side of the machine rests u )on the unnotchcd ortion 32 of lever 20, whose idler gear is out of mesh with the pinions of the other driving shaft and its spool. With the parts in this position the ribbon will be fed from right to left.

it will be understood that when lever 18 is swung by means of handle 28 the opposite lever 20 will be swun in unison therewith by means of connecting link 26, thereby meshing the idler gear at the right hand of the side of the machine with the pinion of the driving shaft and spool respectively, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and causing the idler gear upon that side of the machine to occupy a position removed from the corresponding parts ofthe other driving shaft and spool.

At this point it may be noted that the springs 3- and 35 are so adjusted that the bent ends thereof will hold the lovers 18 and 20 in such position as .to bringthe pinions and the gears of thevcrtical shafts and spools into mesh without causing the teeth to bottom, thus icrmitting them to operate without noise. he smaller notches 31 of the swingin lovers are so disposed thereon that when t ie springs 3-1 and 35 are in enga ement therewith the lovers 1S and 20 wi l he in such position that both idler pinions will be disengaged from the pinions which they are adaptcdto connect, and both ribbon spools will, therefore, be free to rotate upon their shafts as shown in Fig. 4, in connection with one spool.

(.asings 36 are provided for inclosing the spools and their actuating mechanism. said casings being apertured as at 37 and provided with fingers 38 through which the ribbon is threaded and which operate as guides therefor.

The operation of this mechanism which should be obvious from the above description may be briefl described as follows: It will be undcrstoo that shafts 6 are driven in opposite directions whenever shaft 1 is rotated. When one of the springs 3t and 35 engages the larger notch of one of the levers, the pinions upon that 'sideof'the machine are in mesh, and the ribbon will be fed in that direction. \Vhen it is desired to reverse the feed of the ribbon the handle '28 may be manipulated to swing its lever whereby the other leverwill swing in unison, thereby engaging the other pinion with the gear mechanism on the opposite side of the machine, and causing the ribbon to feed in the opposite direction. j When one of lovers 18 or 20 is swung to disen age its idler gear from the pinions which it is adapted to connect, the positioning spring upon that side of the machine movesupon the smooth surface of the lever as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. When it is desired to discn age both gears the idler gears upon both si es of the machine are moved to disengaged position and springs 34 and are brought into contact with the small notches 31 on the levers or yokes.

It will accordingly be seen that I have provided mechanism well adapted to attain among others, all the ends and objects above enumerated, in a sim lo and eliicient main ner. The mechanism ms the further advantage of positivcncss of operation, and is so constructed that it will operate without producing noise. i

As many changes'could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from thescope thereof, it is intended that all mat- "tercontained" in the above description or lit) shown the f accom p a nyin g. drawings shall a be. interpreted as illustrative and not'in a limiting sense;

' Having thus described myinvention what I elamrasnew and desire to secure by LettersPate'ng'is:

'1."In"a:typewriting ;machine, 'in combina- 4 tion,' a"pair of spools adapted to carry an 'llllillig r bbon and :feed'the same in opposlte directions across the'printing point of the platen, a driving shaftfffo'rt each'jof *said- ;spools',-drivingand driven" gears upon' said shafts-and spools respectively, a-pair of pivotally nmunted levers each carrying an idler gear adapted to bermov jed into mesh withithe gears'i'ipon iv'sh'aft and'spool,and a linlcconnecting said levers whereby they mayabeswung to engage their idler gears witlreach set ofdriving and driven gears in alternation. 1 Q

12. {In a typewriting machin'efin combination, apair of ribbon spools adapted to. feed a ribbon past the printing point of the '-platen,' -'a driving shaft 'forfeach of said spoolshaving afdriving gear, a. driven gear provided upon each ofsaid spools, the gears provided upon each of {said shafts and the s p'ooldriven" thereby lying adjacent each other, a swiveled member located adjacent eachof said driving shafts'havi'ng' an'idler gear which isadapted tobe meshed with the driving and driven gear of said 'shaft and spool respe'ctively,'and a connecting member interposed 'between 'said swiveled members whereby they may be' swung I in alternation to engage "or disengage"said idler gears with thegears of said shafts and spools respectively.-

- 3. In a" typewritingi machine, in "combination, a pair'of shafts each of which is adapted to be'drivenin o posite directions, said shafts being rovidbd with driving gears, a ribbon spoo mounted upon each of said shafts and having a driven gear, a yoke swiveled in the frame of the machine adjacent each of said shafts, an idlerge'ar carried by each of said yolres and a device conmeeting said yokes whereby they may be swung in alternation to engage or disengage their idler gears with or from the gears of said shafts and spools respectively.

4. In a typcwriting machine, in combination, a pair of oppositely driven ribbon spool shafts, a ribbon spool for each of said shafts, driving and driven gears upon said shafts and spools respectively, a swiveled member provided with anidler gear located adjacent each of said shafts, a connection between said swiveled members .whereby they may be swung simultaneously alternately to disengage one of said idler gears from one set of driving and driven gears and ,to engage theother of said idler gears with the other set thereof.

l. 5. a typewriting machine, in combinaribbon 'spoolsone for" tion,-a pair of. ribbon'spool shafts adapted to be driven in opposite directions, alpair of I I each shaft, driving and driven-gears upon each of said shafts and upon each of said spools,-means for simultaneously connecting one of said spools with theshaft anddisengaging the other thereof from its shaft comprising a pair of swiveled -1nembers,one of which is located adjacent either of-said shafts,.an idler gear carried by each of said swiveled members,

and a link' connection interposed between said swiveled members.

'6.v In a typewriting machine, in combination, a pair Of'l'lbbOIl spools, a pair of rib- .bon'spool driving shafts adapted to be driven in opposite directions, driving gears upon said" shaftsand driven gears upon said spools, a pair of swiveled yokes each of which is provided with an idler gear, each of said yokes being adapted to be swung to engage its idler gear with the driving and driven gears of one of said shafts'and its spool, a --link connection interposed between said yokes whereby they are swung-simultaneously to throw their respective idler gears mto or out of operatlvc relation with the "gears which are "adapted'to connect, and

means engaging each of said yokes adapted to hold'i't with its idler gear into or out of mesh with the gears which it is adapted to connect. v

7." In. a typewriting machine, in combination, a pair-of ribbon spools, a'pair-of ribbon spool driving shafts, one for each spool, gears upon said spools andshafts-respectively, the gears of each of said'shafts and its spool lying adjacent each other, a swiveled member-lying adjacent each shaft providedwith an-idler gear which is adapted to form an operative connection betweenthe gear thereofand the gear upon the spool, :11. link interposed between said. swiveled members whereby they may swing simultaneously to engage or disengage their idler gears with or from the gears ofsaid shafts and spools, and means engaging each of said swiveled members for holding it in position to engage its idler gear with said first named gears or in a position removed therefrom or in such position that both of said idler gears will-be out of mesh with the gears which they are adapted to connect.

8. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a pair of ribbon spool shafts, a pair of ribbon spools one for each shaft, gears upon said spools and shafts respectively, the gears of each spool and its driving shaft lying contiguous to each other, movable idler gears each adapted to be thrown into mesh with a pair of gears upon the driving shaft and spool whereby they are operatively connected, a connection between said idler gears whereby they are engaged or disengaged with the gears which they connect in alterna- 1 to be drivenin opposite directions, a pair of ribbon spools, one of which is mounted upon each of said shafts. gears upon said spools and shafts respectively, the gears upon which the shaft and spool are mounted being mounted adjacent each other, a yoke s iveled i the frame of the machine ad acent each of said shafts, an idler gear mounted upon each of said yokes and adapted to furnish an operative connection between the gears of each shaft and its spool, a connecting member interposed between said yokes whereby they may be swung alternately and said idler caused to connect or disconnect the gears upon said shaft and spools respectively, each of said yokes being provided with a notch, and a spring member for each of said yokes, which is adapted to cute a notch thereof when the idler gear thereof is engaged with said first named gears whereby said yoke is held against swinging movement.

10. In a typwriting machine, in combination, a ribbon spool shaft, a spool mounted thereon, driving and driven gears upon said shaft and upon said spool respectively, an idler gear adapted to mesh with each of said gears, and means adapted to regulate the depth of the engagement of the teeth of said idler gear with said first mentioned gears.

11.- In a typewriting machine, in combination, a ribbon spool driving shaft, a spool mounted loosely thereon, driving and driven gears upon said shaft and spool respectively, a lever carrying an idler gear adapted to be Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

swung, whereby said idler gear may mesh with both of said first mentioned gears and ell'ect an operative connection therebetween. and an adjustable spring which engages said lever adapted to hold said idler gear so that the teeth thereof will not bottom with the teeth of the gears with which it meshes.

12. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a pair of ribbon spool shafts, a spool loosely mounted upon each of said shafts. driving and driven gears upon said shafts and spools respectively, a pair of swiveled levers, one of which is located adjacent each of said shafts, an idler gear mounted upon each of said levers, and means connecting said levers whereby they may swing in unison alternately to mesh or disengage their idlers from the gears upon said shafts and spools whereby the. direction of feed of the ribbon will be reversed.

13. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a pair of ribbon spool shafts, a spool mounted upon each of said shafts, driving and driven gears upon said shafts and spools respectively, a pair of movable members each of which carries an idler gear which is adapted to mesh with one pair of driving and driven gears whereby they ma be operatively connected, a connection between said movable members whereby they may be operated in unison, and means for holding either of said movable means in such position that its idler gear will be in mesh with one pair of driving and driven gears. said means also operating to hold both of said movable members in such position that both idle-r gears will be out of mesh with the gears which they operatively connect.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAU A. LORENZ.

\Vitnesses:

Ham's h'IaLLxna, Eowano H. LORENZ.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

